[Teej]

I picked up a brake kit for my '66 Bonneville and am having a tough time with the booster. I'm switching to disc brakes so I wanted to put in a dual diaphragm, but the bolts to the firewall are about half the length of the original.

Under the dash, the booster bolts had about an inch thick spacer. I was wondering if this was to keep the pedal bracket from crushing the insulation or if it was necessary to position the pedal bracket. In other words, if I eliminate the spacers, I think I can get the booster bolts to work, but I don't want to mess up the geometry of the pedals.

Or, do I need to find another booster. If so, it needs to be one with that will work with a dual reservoir and disc brakes.

Anybody eliminate the spacers?

[66bonne]

A pix would be helpful if that is possible. Is there a reason why you can' use longer bolts ? A little confused on your problem.

Jim

[Deadhead]

Yeah, original also has those spacers to compensate for the firewall padding. Is your padding still on there? If so, are the bolts going to be long enough to get past it? Likely it would move the whole thing to the firewall the same distance and keep it all on the same plane. That would put the pedal that much closer to the carpet. Like Jim says, might be better to just use the same length bolts as factory. Or bang out the originals and use them, which is what I would do.

[66bonne]

I feel like the village idiot. It has been so long since I had power brakes that I forgot the bolts are on the booster itself. My bad. Have never taken those bolts out so I don't know if it is feasible. Should have held my tongue.

Jim

[66bonne]

Think I'll look in the parts bin and see if I have a booster so I can reeducate myself or come up with an idea.

Jim

[66bonne]

My curiosity made me take a look at a booster. Then googled diagrams of vac boosters.
It looks like you would have to disassemble the booster in order to remove the mounting studs. Looks like they are mounted somewhat like wheel studs.

Jim

[Deadhead]

I was thinking of the pedal bracket myself.

[Teej]

Correct, the bolts I'm talking about are the studs that are integral to the booster so I can't just use longer bolts. They go through the firewall, through the padding and then through the pedal bracket and have a nut on them. I saw that there are two bolts at the top of the pedal bracket, but they don't look adjustable.

I would imagine that taking apart the booster is no simple task.

[Deadhead]

You could extend the bolts using a coupling like they use to connect threaded rod if you had to, but I think getting a different booster might be simpler in the end. Tractor Supply has the couplings.

[66bonne]

Bruce: I thought about the couplings too. Is there enough room to use them ?

Jim

[63gpman]

How much longer do the bolts have to be? is there a collared nut that could be used similar to on wheel lug nuts?

[63gpman]

something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-16-Chrome-...ht_1151wt_1070 and just reem out the brake pedal hole?

[Deadhead]

If the threads come through at all, you might not need to enlarge holes.

[Teej]

I ended up using a coupler nut on the studs, but the studs were just a tad too long and took up all the room in the coupler. A nut/washer on the inside made it just a bit too long and the bolts going into the top of the pedal assembly wouldn't line up. So then I had to add a couple washers as spacers on the outside of the firewall to move it back. But that moves my pedal clevis back that 3/8 inch. (Which I already adjusted, dang it..) I think it will work, but I'll probably end up cutting off the 3/8 of the studs so that I can just use the couplers on the inside without any washers outside.

What a pain.

[66bonne]

Teej: Good news, sounds like you have a solution.

Jim